He was named the 2014 and 2015 Canoeist of the Year in the Czech Republic. (hydromagazin.cz, 21 Jan 2014; sport.idnes.cz, 14 Nov 2015)

He was a finalist for the Sportsman of the Year award at the 2015 World Paddle Awards. (worldpaddleawards.com, 2016)

Famous relatives

Both his parents represented Czech Republic in canoe slalom. His father Jiri won bronze in K1 Team at the 1999 World Championships in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain, while his mother Marcela was also part of the national team. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Sep 2015; Facebook page, 06 Sep 2015; slalom-world.com, 26 Jul 2015)

International Debut

Year

2011

Competing for

Czech Republic

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport?

He began paddling at age eight. His first coach was his mother.

Why this sport?

His parents both competed in the sport at international level and encouraged him to try it too.